Can a cup of tea connect us across cultures? Explore how Pierre Sernet’s Guerrilla Tea project helps us break out of our bubbles and build empathy.

How movies teach us to see some people as characters and others as extras, and what this hierarchy of attention reveals about war and psychic numbing.

Does compassion mean the same thing in every language? Explore how words like compasión, karuṇā, raḥma, Mitgefühl, ubuntu and others reveal different ways of understanding suffering, care and human co...

Can music encourage people to prepare for hurricanes? A study across 11 Caribbean countries explores how creative communication can build trust, self-efficacy and preparedness.

Why is the mosquito the world’s deadliest animal? Explore how malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases kill hundreds of thousands each year—and why the scale of these deaths can make them harder to s...

Most of us think of cognitive biases as quirks of everyday decision-making, but a recent Texas National Security Review study shows they are deeply embedded in people’s attitudes toward nuclear weapon...

Why would an emergency kit include board games or even a bottle of wine? As wildfires force thousands to evacuate in France, a shelter in Bordeaux offers a different perspective on disaster preparedne...

Palestinian amputees gathered in a war-damaged stadium in Gaza to recreate the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, highlighting resilience, community, and the human impact of war.

Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis, has died at 56. Her graphic memoir challenged stereotypes about Iran by telling the story of one childhood shaped by revolution, war, family, and exile.

After Argentina's World Cup semifinal victory over England, a banner supporting Argentina's claim to the Falklands/Malvinas sparked debate over politics in sport and FIFA's rules on political expressi...

The war in Iran should alert responsible military and civilian leaders to the increased nuclear risk posed by a president who exhibits many of the psychological characteristics that may trigger…

After Venezuela's earthquakes, amateur volunteers left behind their everyday lives to help search through the rubble, showing how compassion can shape disaster response.

After the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela, volunteers are doing more than rescuing survivors. Their words, songs, and acts of compassion reveal how emotional support can become a vital part of di...

Three World Cup players share a common history as refugees. Their stories show how opportunity, support, and belonging can shape lives far beyond conflict.

In Minefield, former Argentine and British enemies share a stage more than three decades after the Falklands/Malvinas War. Through personal memories, music, and lived experience, the project explores ...

The war in Iran should alert responsible military and civilian leaders to the increased nuclear risk posed by a president who exhibits many of the psychological characteristics that may trigger unwise...

During the Boston Marathon, two exhausted runners stopped just before the finish line to help a collapsed competitor cross with them. This article explores why acts of compassion can emerge instinctively in moments of shared struggle and what the viral moment reveals about human connection.

Women-led radio stations like Radio Begum are creating rare spaces where women can speak, listen, and connect under repression. This article explores how local radio helps break silence, restore commu...

An exploration of how songs like 2 Minutes to Midnight, Russians, 99 Luftballons, and Enola Gay help make nuclear risk feel real—highlighting the human emotions, misperceptions, and decisions behind a...

This photographic project by François Brunelle brings together unrelated strangers who look strikingly alike, exploring identity, resemblance, and the subtle empathy that emerges when we see ourselves...

How Kyiv Zoo staff protect Ukraine’s only gorilla during war-driven winter blackouts, and what this act of care reveals about human values in crisis.

The internet has a longer memory than people. This article explores the Right to Be Forgotten, examining how permanent digital records affect ordinary lives, where law draws the line between privacy a...

Internet shutdowns are a powerful tool of repression. In Iran, blackout after blackout cuts visibility, not just connectivity. This article looks at how a few fragile connections — satellite internet,...

An AOC article exploring how shared meals interrupt fear and psychological numbing, using real examples from history and community initiatives to show how food helps turn “enemies” back into people.

A tribute to Joanna Macy (1929–2025), reflecting on her observations of emotional withdrawal in times of crisis and her emphasis on connection, shared feeling, and action without guarantees.

What if emotions aren’t timeless? This article connects the history of emotions, behavioral science, and psychic numbing to rethink compassion at scale.

Crocodile attacks are rising in Timor-Leste, but cultural beliefs make risk communication complex. Explore how tradition, psychology, and conservation intersect.

Most ocean damage is invisible, but shorelines make it visible. Each tide leaves evidence of pollution, disasters, and global connections. A simple walk on the beach shows what the ocean is carrying—a...

Chile’s Atacama Desert hosts some of the world’s most powerful observatories—and one of humanity’s last truly dark skies. As mining, cities, and satellites flood the night with light, astronomers and ...

Jane Goodall’s legacy unites science and compassion. Her final lesson: hope is an antidote to paralysis and despair in the face of global crises.

By Nancy Nuñez and Emiliano Rodriguez Nuesch Eighty years is a long time. Long enough for memories to fade. Long enough for pain to turn into numbers. That’s why we need art. Because numbers don’t c...

Sebastião Salgado died at 81. His lens captured 20th-century tragedies and reminded us that real compassion begins with truly seeing others.

The Eternaut, Argentina’s iconic sci-fi graphic novel, comes to Netflix. A deadly snowfall, an alien invasion — and a message: no one survives alone.

Our Fall 2024 Climate Change in the American Mind survey finds that 26% of Americans are Alarmed about global warming, and that the Alarmed outnumber the Dismissive (10%) by a ratio of about 2.5 to 1.

Can documentaries change behavior? Through the power of narrative empathy, films like Blackfish, The Cove, and An Inconvenient Truth have shaped public opinion and sparked real-world action. Discover ...

Myanmar's 7.7 magnitude earthquake has caused widespread destruction, with families searching for loved ones and communities rallying to provide aid. Rescue teams are working tirelessly, but resources...

Extremism thrives on selective in-group empathy, while narrative empathy and participatory ecological storytelling can challenge radical ideologies by building broader cognitive and affective connecti...

Once societies become “hate-curious,” they've embarked on a path that can lead to genocide. But all of us can take action to halt this progression.

Participatory ecological storytelling fosters ecological empathy and narrative empathy, helping people confront eco-anxiety and psychic numbing by co-creating stories that give voice to the more-than-...

Empathy, like music, is an exercise—a practice that deepens our humanity and strengthens our connection to others. In a world where apathy dominates headlines, this article explores why empathy is ess...

When theaters shut down during the COVID-19 lockdown, a group of artists reimagined Hamlet inside Grand Theft Auto Online, transforming a chaotic virtual world into an unpredictable stage. This innova...